George Wendt, who bellied up to the bar to portray the beer-quaffing everyman Norm Peterson for all 11 seasons of the fabled NBC sitcom Cheers, has died. He was 76.

George Wendt, beloved for his role as barfly Norm Peterson on the iconic NBC sitcom Cheers, has died at age 76.

Any consideration of ensemble-driven sitcoms has to include “Cheers,” and any consideration of “Cheers” has to include George Wendt, whose Norm Peterson was the bar fly’s bar fly.